The rebirth of St Pancras: matching service to facilities: Recruitment and induction of customer‐service officers have the “wow” factor

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to describe how London & Continental Railways resolved recruitment and training of customer‐service officers (CSOs) for the redeveloped St Pancras and new Ebbsfleet international stations within the latest phase of implementing high‐speed rail links between the UK and continental Europe.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper details the role of consultant Echelon Learning in creating and implementing an innovative four‐stage process to deliver a service to complement the rebranding of St Pancras as a quality leisure and retail destination.

Findings

The paper confirms the appropriateness‐to‐task of the process in both recruitment and induction of CSOs and reveals ongoing commitment to the same.

Practical implications

The paper shows how staff induction and training have played an important part in the development of the St Pancras International brand.

Originality/value

The paper highlights how London & Continental Railways was able quickly to identify and develop the best candidates from a large number of applicants.

Citation

Muir, P. (2008), "The rebirth of St Pancras: matching service to facilities: Recruitment and induction of customer‐service officers have the “wow” factor", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 11-16. https://doi.org/10.1108/09670730810860663